A TEAM "FIT TO BE TIED"
David Ortiz earns the Sox
a must win game winner

September 29, 2005 ... The chants, never so pronounced this season, poured out of the 35,345 in Fenway Park at 10:30 tonight, as David Ortiz dug in, the game tied at 4-4, two men on base, and Johnny Damon 180 feet from pay dirt. Damon, with one out in the ninth, had singled to right, just on a line drive that got by a diving Eric Hinske. Damon, sensing the need to slip into scoring position, took off on a 2-and-0 pitch to Edgar Renteria. Renteria faked a bunt and then pulled back. Catcher Gregg Zaun threw to second on a slight hop, the slightly errant throw, coupled with Damon's speed, was enough for the center fielder to slip in safely. Renteria then drew a four-pitch walk, bringing up Ortiz.

"MVP, MVP, MVP," they roared. Ortiz went to 3 and 2 against closer Miguel Batista. The Blue Jays were playing a shift, slightly up the middle, and Ortiz shot it just to the left of the shortstop, into left field. That was the ball game. Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4.

The win allowed the Sox to keep pace with the Yankees, who were 8-4 winners in Baltimore to enter a three-game, season-ending series, with the Sox one game behind New York in the American League East.

 The Sox had again survived, for eight innings, as they had all season, with acceptable, if unspectacular pitching, and yet more run production, when needed most.  Who else but Manny Ramirez and Ortiz. Ramirez hit a two-run shot with no outs in the sixth, his 42d, pulling the Sox within 4-3. Ortiz, leading off the eighth, powered a 2-and-0 Vinnie Chulk fastball three rows into the Monster seats in left-center, tying matters at 4-4. With those two swings, Ramirez and Ortiz lifted their combined, stunning season RBI total to 283. The tying homer gave Ortiz 47, tying Alex Rodriguez for the AL lead. He's now hit 20 home runs to either tie games or give the Sox the lead. The MVP chants again rose throughout the yard.

The Sox had a chance to tie it in the seventh, when Tony Graffanino reached on an Adams error. Graffanino stole second with two outs and Renteria up as the first pitch one-hopped into catcher Gregg Zaun's glove. Then Renteria hit a smash toward first, but Eric Hinske gloved it on a hop and stepped on first for the out. Renteria stopped 50 feet up the line, out and defeated. He fell into a crouch, took his helmet off and gently banged it into the dirt on the baseline.

Matt Clement, who had allowed 17 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings against the Jays this season, conceded single runs in the second and third innings and two in the fifth inning. He faced eight batters in that inning, as his pitch count soared to 95.

Russ Adams began the inning by singling ahead of Frank Catalanotto. With the Sox behind, 2-1, Clement hung a 2-and-2 pitch to Catalanotto, who launched one. His eighth homer of the season touched down in the Red Sox pen, escalating the Blue Jays lead to 4-1.

Clement then worked through a vintage inning of his own. He spared the Sox further damage but taxed himself considerably. With one out, he loaded the bases on a walk, double, and intentional walk. Alex Rios then bounced back to Clement, who backhanded a short throw to Jason Varitek for a force at home. With Gabe Gross up next, Clement bounced a 2-and-1 pitch that Varitek gloved, sliding to his right, saving a run. Clement, on his second 3-and-2 pitch to Gross, got an inning-ending grounder. But, he had thrown 94 pitches and was gone two pitches into the sixth, after a leadoff single.

Clement, the club's prime pitching acquisition in the off-season, has won only three games after pitching in the All-Star Game on July 12, posting a 5.72 ERA in the second- half.

 But Ortiz and Ramirez pulled the Sox within 4-3 in the sixth. Ortiz hit into the infield shift, but shortstop Adams cut off second baseman Aaron Hill, botching a routine play for Hill. That ended starter Scott Downs's night after five innings-plus. Manager John Gibbons elected for hard-throwing right-hander Jason Frasor.

Frasor got ahead of Ramirez 0-and-1, threw a fastball, low and on the outside corner, at 91 miles per hour. Ramirez took one of his vintage cuts with his body locked in, head level, bat whipping through a part of the zone that few hitters can get to with such power and balance. Ortiz pulled up just shy of second to make sure it wasn't caught. The ball landed in the visiting bullpen, Ortiz pumped a big fist, then began trotting home as the Sox pulled within 4-3.

Ortiz may be the club's MVP candidate, but without Ramirez this month, the Sox wouldn't be in the position they are. He's homered six times in nine games and nine times in 19 games after going 18 without a homer.